Barcelona with kids

Barcelona is a great city to visit with kids, I even think it’s one of the best big cities in the world to live with kids. There are all kinds of fun activities that you can do with kids in Barcelona, no matter if it rains or if it’s super hot. On this page I’m sharing the top activities in Barcelona with kids.

Barcelona Zoo

A Zoo is always a nice activity to do with kids. You can find the Barcelona Zoo at Parc de la Ciutadella. They’ve got all the popular animals in the Barcelona Zoo, like tigers, lions, penguins and hippo’s. What’s really nice is that there’s an elevated walkway where you can see eye to eye with the elephants. You can also celebrate your kid’s birthday party at the Barcelona Zoo. There’s plenty of shade in the zoo to enjoy yourself on a warm day. And I love it that the kids can walk around without needing to worry about the traffic.

Lego store

Probably the most popular shop in Barcelona for kids is the Lego store. You can find it in between Placa de Catalunya and Casa Batllo. In the store are some amazing big Lego pieces. Pictured you see Park Guell in Lego, but they also have a beautiful Sagrada Familia in Lego, complete with the cranes. There’s a big car where the kids can sit down in, and there’s Lego where you can play with.

Tibidabo amusement Park

Many kids enjoy amusement parks, and Barcelona has one right in the city! You can see the Monastery from Tibidabo on the hill from downtown Barcelona, and right next to the church is the theme park. The Tibidabo amusement park will guarantee a full day of fun with all the different rides they have. If you’re visiting Barcelona on a budget or if you’re limited on time, you can also just visit the panoramic deck and buy a ticket for just the rides there.

Parc de la Creueta del Coll

Are you visiting Barcelona with kids in the summer? It can get real hot in July and August so I’m sure you can use some cooling down. There are quite a few pools in Barcelona. For some of them you need a membership, which is worth it if you live in Barcelona and you can go quite regularly. But if you’re only in Barcelona for a vacation, you might want a pool that doesn’t require a membership. I love an outdoor pool when the weather is nice, that’s why I recommend Parc de la Creueta del Coll. This outdoor public pool has a nice patch of grass where you can lay down and two pools where you can play and swim with your kids.

Barcelona Aquarium

The Barcelona Aquarium is also a great activity to do with kids when it’s really warm, because it’s more cool inside. But it’s also a great activity for when it rains, because you’ll be indoors. The highlight of the aquarium are the two tunnels where you walk under the water. But leading up to that are many aquariums with pretty fish. At the end you’ll also find penguins and a play area upstairs.

Catalunya en Miniatura

It’s not in the city, but you can easily get to Catalunya en Miniatura by car or train from Barcelona. In this theme park you can find all the important buildings from Catalunya in a small size (scale 1:25). And besides that, there’s a train taking you around the park, a zip-line, a picnic area and more. There’s enough to do for a fun day trip with kids from Barcelona.

Laberint d’Horta

The Laberint d’Horta is a fun labyrinth in a beautiful park. It’s a historical garden at the North side of the city. It’s easy to reach by public transport, the metro stop Mundet where the L3 line stops is right nearby. The labyrinth of Barcelona is such a fun activity to do with kids. You can let them lead the way and see if they can make it to the pond at the end. Children under 5 enter for free, a kids ticket is €1,42 and an adult ticket is €2,23. I think it’s really good value for money as your kids will be entertained for a while. On Wednesdays and Sundays you can visit the park and the labyrinth for free.

Museu de la Ciència CosmoCaixa

CosmoCaixa is a wonderful science museum in Barcelona. After a thorough renovation they reopened in 2005 and have been a popular museum for kids and teenagers ever since. Located in a former factory, this 300,000 square meter cultural center makes science interesting for everyone. It’s a hands-on museum with things like a wave-generator and a glass elevator. You can even walk by tropical trees. Entrance to CosmoCaixa is €6,- (kids under 16 are free).

Tren de l’Oreneta

Great fun for kids who love trains is the Tren de l’Oreneta. It’s a miniature train on which you can take a ride. It’s located in the Parc del Castell de l’Oreneta at the edge of the city. You can get there with bus V3 and V5. The train runs every Sunday and on Holidays from 10:30 to 13:30. You can buy your ticket at the little train station for 3€ per person (kids under 2 travel for free). In the park you also have a few playgrounds.

Arenas de Barcelona

The Arenas de Barcelona shopping mall has a big round interactive led-floor where kids can play on. The images on the floor change regularly and react to the movement on the floor. So you’ll for example see snowflakes where your kid is sitting, or the leaves will disappear where your kid is walking.
There’s also an observation deck that is free to visit on the top floor.

Double-decker bus

It’s super touristic, but a double decker bus is a great way to discover the city with kids if you’re short on time. This hop-on hop-off bus will take you to all the touristic highlights without too many steps. There are two companies in Barcelona that have these hop-on hop-off dubbel decker busses and they’re very similar. They cost the same and practically do the same route, so it doesn’t matter which one you choose.

Kid-friendly restaurants in Barcelona

In general, restaurants in Spain are quite kid-friendly. It’s very common to take your baby or your kid out for dinner with you. Especially when the weather is nice and you’re sitting outside. So except for some fancy restaurants or roof-top bars in Barcelona, most restaurants will tolerate kids and the waiters will entertain them when they have some spare time. That being said, there are a few restaurants that are especially nice for kids in Barcelona. I’ve listed them below.

Luciano’s

Luciano’s is an ice-cream in Barcelona shop with a space theme. There’s a big astronaut looking down from the ceiling and a rocket that’s about to launch. And I’m sure your kids will love to try some of the ice cream flavours here!

Snow Monster

Snow Monster serves Taiwanese ice cream. It’s shaved ice, and therefore looks like snowflakes. Because of this structure it’s very fluffy. It’s not only kid friendly because most kids like ice cream, and especially ice cream that looks like little monsters; it also has a box with toys to keep your little ones occupied.

Click here for the best ice cream shops in Barcelona.

Alice Secret Garden

Alice Secret Garden is a brunch cafe with a big courtyard that’s got an Alice in Wonderland theme. You’ll see some very large mushrooms there! But also without the Alice in Wonderland theme, it’s a great cafe to go for brunch or cake because of it’s hidden courtyard in the middle of the city center.

El Bosc de Les Fades

This magical place can be found right next to La Rambla in the Gothic Quarter, near La Barceloneta. It has a beautiful decor that kids will love with an artificial forrest and many colorful lamps. You can’t reserve a table, so it’s smart to come on a quiet time.

Tap here for the most Instagrammable spots in Barcelona